The Wellesley Knightsbridge, a Luxury Collection Hotel, London

Occupying an Art Deco building that was once part of the Hyde Park Corner tube station, the Wellesley is a small hotel that’s big on luxury. Guests here include high-rolling celebrities and royalty, in particular from the UAE, drawn by a blend of discretion and top-notch service. Behind the smart exteriors, the opulent lobby has marble walls and flooring, grand chandeliers, and high, ornately finished ceilings. The elegant, contemporary reception desk is wrapped in suave brown leather, while hallways sport purple walls, matching patterned carpet and smart white wood trim, and photos of ‘20s personalities in striking silver frames. The hotel retains original features like the old subway station’s tiling, while similarly glistening design carries through to the restaurant, bar, jazz lounge, and cigar lounge and terraces. The one downside to the place is that some guests report the smell of cigar smoke spreading into the lobby and beyond.

The Wellesley is set right on the main road in Knightsbridge, one of London’s premier addresses. Hyde Park is just across the road, and the hotel is less than a block from the Hyde Park Corner tube station (not that many of the affluent guests here are likely to ride the subway when complementary chauffeur service for drop off trips within a 1.5 mile radius of the hotel on offer). Some of the capital’s best shopping is within easy walking distance, including Harrods and Harvey Nichols, as are museums, countless other popular attractions, and plenty of top restaurants and bars.

• Two-minute walk to Hyde Park Corner tube station
• Three-minute walk to Hyde Park
• Five-minute walk to Green Park
• Nine-minute walk to Piccadilly
• 12-minute walk to Buckingham Palace
• 18-minute walk to Mayfair
• 10-minute drive to Big Ben (14 minutes by public transportation)
• 12-minute drive to the London Eye (20 minutes by public transportation)
• 30-minute drive to Heathrow Airport (45 minutes by public transportation)
• 35-minute drive to London City Airport (41 minutes by public transportation)
• One-hour drive to Gatwick Airport (47 minutes by public transportation)

Each of the Wellesley’s 36 opulent, quiet rooms is individually designed and named after a prominent figure from the 1920s, such as Ella Fitzgerald, Josephine Baker, and Charlie Chaplin. Comfortable beds have cream-colored, button-design headboards set against mirrored accent walls, while higher-category rooms (Executive Rooms and above) add chic velvet sofas at their feet. Decadent bedside tables have charger outlets cleverly built into the drawers. Neutral patterned carpets are paired with smart leather tub seats and small black marble tables. Elegant, built-in dark wood desks feature glass countertops and cream leather. One Bedroom Suites add separate living rooms, while the luxurious Penthouse stretches across the sixth and seventh floors of the hotel, and can be booked with one to four bedrooms. It includes a huge living room with a glass-topped dark wood dining table and eight cream leather-backed chairs, plus dark blue velvet sofas and cream armchairs on matching carpet runners; there's also a private terrace.

Exquisite bathrooms sport heated gray Italian marble flooring that extends partially up the white walls. There are large separate walk-in showers with rainfall and power showerheads, and large, mirror-fronted vanities with submerged white sinks and built-in TVs. All but entry-level Deluxe King and Queen Rooms also have elegant shower/tub combos on marble platforms, while the Penthouse has lovely slipper tubs and double sinks, plus a separate half bath.

Extensive amenities include 52-inch flat-screen cable TVs, phones, free Wi-Fi, safes, extensively stocked minibars, robes and slippers, hairdryers, and miniature Hermes toiletries. The Penthouse adds iPod docks, a Nespresso coffeemaker, a separate mini-fridge, and a cigar humidor. Other rooms don’t include coffee- and tea-making facilities (a coffeemaker is available on request) or irons. All but entry-level rooms have impressive views over neighboring Hyde Park or Belgravia.

The Wellesley offers an array of luxurious amenities and services, and the 24-hour butler service is its signature offering; free clothes pressing and overnight shoe shines are also included. Other big-ticket items are the complementary chauffeur service for drop off trips within a 1.5 mile radius of the hotel-- just note that there’s an optional service charge levied upon checkout for these free services (though this is a common practice at other similar properties). 

The intimate Oval Restaurant serves excellent Italian cuisine; breakfast is available here as well or can be served in-room, but it’s not included in all rates. Room service is available 24/7. The Crystal Bar offers an extensive range of vintage wines and spirits, some from as far back as the late 18th-century. The Jazz Lounge serves a daily afternoon tea, plus it offers regular live music and fine dining evenings (the venue is also available for private hire). There’s an indoor cigar lounge plus two heated outdoor cigar terraces, along with a walk-in humidor -- however, some guests note that the smell of cigar smoke can spread to the lobby and elsewhere in the hotel. 

All guests get free loaner tablets with digital concierge services and daily newspaper access, plus smartphones with free internet access and unlimited international calls to a number of destinations. Fast and free Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel. Other amenities include twice-daily housekeeping and turndown service, but note that the hotel has no gym, pool, or spa.